QUEENS, N.Y. - Now 8-month-old Nathaniel Capelo got a second shot at life during the coronavirus outbreak.

Capelo managed to get a rare liver transplant in the middle of a the global health crisis.

What You Need To Know

  • Baby Nathaniel Capelo from Queens survived a liver transplant at Mount Sinai from the deceased transplant program.
  • Medical professionals say this type of surgery is done in the United States three times at most a year.
  • Capelo's donated liver was cut in thirds so that a piece could fit in his body.
  • People on the donor list were getting put on hold if they had coronavirus or any symptoms.

"The Crazy thing is this pandemic saved his life," his father Dennis Capelo said. "Hes Been though such a tough time it's been such a long path."

Capelo and his wife Alex found out their baby would need a liver transplant at the same time New York City was declared the coronavirus epicenter.Doctors told the Astoria couple, at the time he had a 30 percent chance of making it a year.

"We knew he needed it to survive but we didn't 100% know it would work," Capelo said.

 

Nathaniel's surgery was categorized as an elective surgery but due to his condition a team of 12 doctors devised a plan to have it done on March 19th. All of the city's living donor programs were closed but Mount Sinai utilized it's deceased transplant program to make it happen.

"Anyone who needed donors if they had any kind of infection if they had coronavirus or anything pointing to the coronavirus they were put on hold and not able to get transplants," Capelo said.

That boosted Nathaniel up on the donor list. Once he got an offer the parents learned the liver was too big for a baby so it had to be cut in thirds so a smaller piece would fit his tiny body, making the surgery a greater risk. Medical professionals say that surgery is done just three times a year in the United States at most.

"The odds were really against him," Capelo said.

He left the hospital May 5th with a sing-a-long of the song "You Got a Friend in Me" from the medical professionals at Mount Sinai who saved his life.

"Honestly it's a big blessing," said Capelo. "To be honest it's amazing."

Now Nathaniel takes 13 medications, two of which he'll most likely have to take the rest of his life. His parents say he's doing great and loves books.

Thanks to his team of doctors who did the surgery he can grow up healthy and for that his parents are forever grateful.